by John Corwin
The speaker ignored the jibes of the vampires and continued speaking. "For those who don't know me, I am Alfred Jefferies, the acting Arcanus Primus until the election is held four days from now. It is my honor to introduce the candidates and allow for a short question and answer session."
"What does it even matter?" Max grumbled. "We don't get a vote."
"Actually, you do have a voice," Ambria said. "All Arcanes may participate in a popular vote in their district. Their representative is encouraged to cast their vote accordingly."
"Yeah, but they don't have to." Max shrugged. "We're not old enough to vote anyway."
"The general vote will be held tomorrow in Queens Gate," Alfred continued. "All travel by Obsidian Arch will be free for the duration of voting."
"Even for vampires?" someone shouted.
Alfred's sigh echoed across the crowd thanks to his amplification spell. "Free for Arcanes only, I'm afraid."
A chorus of boos scattered across the crowd. A group of young Arcanes pulled out their wands and thrust them into the air. Neon signs burst into life above their heads.
Free travel for all!
Vampires are people too!
No discrimination by supernatural affiliation!
More popped up across the crowd, much to the amusement of the lycans if their howls were anything to go by. Arcanes in tight blue robes, gold medallions shining on their chests, moved into the crowd and began scuffling with the protestors.
Alfred spoke louder to cover the shouts. "Lest you forget, the Obsidian Arches are run at great expense by the Arcanes. We must offset the costs by charging for travel."
"That's a lie!" a protesting Arcane shouted. One of the security guards hit him with a stun spell and the protestor collapsed in a heap. Within minutes, the guards quelled the protest and dragged the perpetrators out of the crowd.
Despite their shouts and heckles, the vampires and lycans were not ejected by security. Apparently, the Arcane guards only had jurisdiction over their own faction.
"Now, back to business," Alfred said. "I will introduce a candidate many of you know and admire. He has long avoided the spotlight, but many of us are glad to see his name on the ballot. Galfandor, will you please join me on stage?"
Max and Ambria met my surprised gaze with raised eyebrows.
"I didn't know Galfandor was running for primus." Max stared with confusion as the headmaster joined Alfred on stage. "I wonder why he never mentioned it."
"Hush and maybe we'll find out," Ambria said.
"Thank you, Vice Chancellor." Galfandor's voice boomed out across the crowd. "It was not until quite recently that I decided to run for primus. Though I find my job as headmaster of Arcane University immensely fulfilling, I realized that there was more I could do to make a difference." His gaze swept the crowd, but his eyes seemed to linger on me for a moment. "The Overworld is in a delicate state. The factions distrust each other, and Arcane arrogance has only worsened the situation."
The vampires burst into cheers. While some Arcanes looked at each other uneasily, others nodded quietly as if hearing a truth they already knew.
"Travel via the arches is too expensive for other factions. Magic that could improve the lives of others is no longer shared. The felycans drift apart from the lycans, the vampires apart from the Daemas, and the Arcanes hold themselves above everyone else." Galfandor pounded the bottom of his staff against the stage, sending a boom across the now silent crowd. "We must break down the walls that separate us and unite. We must help one another as family. Division will weaken us and tear apart the fabric of the great society that is the Overworld."
The crowd exploded into applause.
Galfandor waited patiently for it to die away. "I promise you that as primus, I will seek out the path to a better future for us all. Thank you."
Even Alfred seemed impressed by the short speech, a delighted smile on his face. His smile faded slowly, settling into a grimace, as if awaking from a beautiful dream only to find himself in a pile of rotting garbage. "Thank you, Galfandor. I will let the next candidate speak, and then open the floor to a few questions." He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Please welcome—"
The next candidate had already walked onto the stage, and we could hardly believe who it was.
Chapter 5
Alfred scowled, but introduced the next candidate anyway. "Please welcome Xander Tiberius."
Max blanched and stumbled back. "My father?"
"Is he bloody joking?" someone nearby said.
A woman gasped. "Not a chance in hell I'd vote for that scum."
"This must be a mistake." Max's shoulders hunched as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible. "He couldn't possibly win."
Judging from the scattered shouts from the crowd, many agreed with him.
"Get him off the stage!"
"Arrest him!"
"Overlord collaborator!"
Alfred raised his hands and beat the air with them. "Quiet, please while the next candidate speaks."
Aside from a few scattered hecklers, the noise level dropped to a discontented murmur. Xander brushed back platinum blond hair from his face and flashed brilliant white teeth. He looked like an older version of his twin sons, Rhys and Devon, only taller and with a more pronounced jawline.
"My opponent uses flowery words and beautiful promises to lure you to his side. He avoids the truth and tries to win you over with platitudes." Xander shook his head sadly. "The Overworld is in shambles, my friends."
A chorus of boos countered his words, but the amplification spell overpowered them.
"Arcanes cannot walk the streets of Queens Gate without worry. Entire sections of the town are no-go zones because they are overrun with rogue vampires who lie in wait for passersby." Xander narrowed his eyes at a group of vampire hecklers near the back. "The Daemos remain aloof and do whatever they will, and the Templars are too few to police the factions."
"Go back home, Tiberius!" someone shouted.
"Overlord lover!"
Xander spoke over the insults. "We need a strong leader. We can police ourselves. We can fix the vampire problem by barring them from Queens Gate. We can control Arcane destiny!"
A small section of the crowd burst into cheers. Distrust blended with curiosity on the faces of several nearby. Though a disliked messenger, it appeared to me that Xander had a compelling message to some.
"To fix the Overworld, we must first fix our own ailing cities, and bring back jobs." Xander held up his hands as if the scattered applause was a standing ovation. "As primus, I promise to put Arcanes first." He looked around until the few people cheering him ran out of breath and then strode off the stage. A throng of Arcanes in black robes swirled about him in a protective barrier and escorted him through the crowd.
Alfred cleared his throat uneasily. "We will hold another more formal meeting for only Arcanes on Monday in Queens Gate. Until then, I hope everyone has a marvelous Founders Day."
Max glued his eyes to the ground as if wishing it would open up and swallow him whole. "Why in the world is he running for primus? There's no way he can win."
"Well, you told us your father loves power," Ambria said. "Maybe he thinks there's a chance."
"You heard the crowd." Max glanced around uneasily. "They hate him. Well, most of them, anyway."
I looked around for Galfandor, but he was preoccupied with Alfred and a group of grim-faced Arcanes. "I'm surprised no one else is running."
"No one else thinks they can beat Galfandor." Max groaned. "My father is going to lose so badly, it'll just be another embarrassment for the family."
Ambria patted his shoulder. "Max, you're not the brightest and your hunger is insatiable, but you are not your father. If he wants to embarrass himself, it's all on him."
"Agreed," I said. "Though I think you're smarter than Ambria gives you credit for."
Max cracked a smile. "I suppose you're right. Maybe I could dye my hair and change my last name."
> Ambria clapped her hands together with delight. "What a splendid idea. I say you go with blue or dark green."
Max stuck out his tongue. "And give you something else to make fun of? No thanks."
I looked around the crowd. "Maybe now we can find that odd fellow from the arcnology lab."
Ambria stood on her tiptoes and looked out at the sea of people. "In this crowd?"
The rhythm of a chant cut through the roar of the crowd. "Equal access, no more charge! Equal access, no more charge!"
I turned and saw a large crowd of Arcanes mixed with vampires pushing at the fringe of the crowd. A thin line of Blue Cloaks tried to stop them, but they surged through, pushing into the crowd and toward the stage.
A ball of flame soared. Someone shouted. A scream. Sparks flew. Wands and staffs were drawn. In an instant, the peaceful gathering exploded into violence. Fire blasted one of the nearby buildings and a tree burst into flame.
The crowd turned into a stampeding mob. A force of Blue Cloaks flew in on carpets, firing spells into the crowd. Vampires clambered up buildings and launched themselves at the airborne defenders, fangs flashing. The mob jostled the three of us, knocking Ambria from the wall. I cried out and grabbed her hand, holding on for dear life as a sea of bodies tried to drag her under.
Max gripped my waist and kept me from toppling off after her. I groaned and strained with all my might. Her hand slipped.
"Conrad!" She shrieked and then the current of frightened people carried her away.
"No!" I ran along the low wall my heart thudding, trying to find her, Max on my heels. I saw a flash of red and eight legs skittering across the heads of people. The screams intensified as the giant red spider became visible.
Shushiel dove into the throng and emerged an instant later, a frazzled Ambria dangling by a thread as silk webs pulled the ruby spider out of harm’s way.
"There he is," someone shouted.
I turned. Two Arcanes in black robes glared at me with ill intent. Before I could react, one of them thrust a wand toward me. A searing bolt of light sprang from the tip. My wand hung in a holster on my back. Even if I'd had it out, I didn't have the reaction time to stop this surprise attack. In the end, the mob saved me. A tall man slammed into the dark mage. The attack nicked my shoulder. Blistering pain ignited my flesh and I spun off the wall as if someone had kicked me.
"Conrad!" Max's voice sounded as if he were underwater.
The world blurred and tears stung my eyes. I tried to move my left arm, but it wouldn't respond. A foot slammed into my head. Someone in the fleeing mob kicked my rib and fell in a heap on top of me. More weight slammed down. Brilliant light flashed, cutting through the haze for an instant, and I saw a someone bending down toward me.
Dark almond-shaped eyes gazed calmly down at me despite the chaos all around. Hands gripped me and the world spun. My stomach hit a shoulder and my face rested against dark blue fabric. Light flickered and flashed, but I was too woozy and weak to see what happened.
"Drop my friend or die!" Max shouted.
"He is safe," a calm voice replied. "Come."
"Wait a minute—" Max gasped. "Hey are you—wait up!"
My face bobbed as the person carrying me jogged through an endless stream of panicked people. As if someone had shut off the faucet, we reached a quiet place, the cries far away. I felt cool stone through my robes and against my back. The almond eyes hovered in my view once again.
The man wore his black hair cropped so short it looked almost shaved. A pointed goatee hung from his chin. He didn't look like someone who'd just fought his way through a crowd to save me.
Max ran around the corner, huffing and puffing, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Holy—" He panted a moment. "That was scary!"
I tried to speak, but my lips felt heavy, my eyelids wouldn't stay open. The man didn't speak as he prodded my wounded shoulder, but he grunted as if confirming a suspicion. His eyes betrayed very little emotion, but they seemed concerned.
He looked back at Max and waited until my friend stopped panting. "A healer is not far. Can you keep up?"
Max gulped a breath. "Yes."
Shushiel dropped from above, mandibles spread in attack. The man rolled out of the way and stood facing the ruby spider with no more concern than he might spare a ladybug.
The spider shielded me. "Stay away from my friend!"
"He's helping!" Max shouted. "We have to get Conrad to a healer."
"Percival is somewhere around here!" Ambria said from the side. I couldn't seem to move my head to look. It felt as if frost was working through my shoulder and toward my heart.
"Where?" Max said.
"Well, I mean, I saw him earlier. I don't know where he is now."
"This way," the man said. He slung me over his shoulder again and began to jog. I expected pain, but my cold flesh turned numb. I felt oddly detached from the world, as if riding a train into a dark tunnel, farther and farther from the light of day.
A door. Muffled but urgent conversations. A table. Pressure on my skin. A sudden jolt of pain and fire spreading through my limbs. I shouted and tried to flail, but something held me down. I sagged and felt moisture trickling down my skin. Something cold pressed against my shoulder and for a moment, I thought it was the same sensation I'd felt earlier.
I blinked open heavy eyelids and turned my head left. White moss bound to my shoulder. Cold air drifted from the compress like smoke.
"The poison is purged," a familiar voice said. I blinked a few more times and looked into the lovely face of Asha Fellini.
"Poison?" I moaned weakly.
She smoothed back the hair from my forehead. "Yes, Conrad. Those battle mages hit you with a frost poison spell. If you'd gone much longer without treatment, it would have frozen your heart."
"Why are you here?"
Asha tilted her head. Frowned. "I was here for the event. After the riots broke out, I came to the nearest healer ward in case they needed help."
I tried to sit up, but my arms trembled with the effort. "My friends?"
"In the waiting area." She put a hand to my back and helped me sit. The room overflowed with bloodied and bruised people. Healers bustled about, checking on the injured and helping others through a door and inside. "When I saw it was you, I brought you in immediately."
"Battle mages." I groaned with weariness. "They were looking for me."
"I was on the far side away from the rioters," Asha said. "Do you have any idea what started it?"
I lay back down and looked up at the glow ball drifting near the ceiling. "I think it was deliberate. My father must have realized I was here and needed a diversion so the battle mages could kill me."
"How can any person be so awful?" Asha took my hand and squeezed it. "To kill your own child takes a special sort of evil." Tears pooled in her big eyes and in that moment, she reminded me so much of Delectra I nearly cried myself.
She is not my mother. Delectra is dead.
"This isn't the first time you've looked at me like this, Conrad." Asha leaned closer. "You shrink away from me and look at me as if I'm out to steal your soul. Why?"
I hadn't realized that was the impression I gave her. Guilt hung heavy on my heart and I knew I couldn't keep this from her. She'd saved my life. She deserved the truth. "You look very much like my mother—like Delectra."
Asha gasped. "Really? I saw a few pictures of her in the newspapers, but the images were blurry."
"You didn't see her when she and my father ruled the Overworld?"
"No, I grew up in a remote part of Italy." Her gaze grew distant. "I learned magic from—from someone very special to me." Asha smiled sadly. "I went to Arcane University a year after the defeat of the Overlord. Because he had killed so many Arcanes, there was a shortage of teachers. It was then I decided that would be my profession. I would help magic return to the world." She spoke hesitantly, as if unaccustomed to telling others about her past.
"Who are your parents?"
; "Dead." Asha smoothed her robes, eyes distant. "In any case, I never saw the Overlord or Delectra in person."
I tried to sit up again, but gravity pinned down my weary muscles. "Who were your parents?"
Asha blinked and shook her head. "Perhaps another time, Conrad." She walked over to a table of potions and brought back one filled with blue liquid. "Drink this, please. It will restore your strength." She held it up to my mouth since my arms felt too heavy to move.
The potion was so bitter I gagged, but managed to keep it down. She helped me lie back down and left to help attend other patients. A dull ache worked into my muscles followed by a soothing warmth not unlike the menthol salve Cora used on my chest when I caught cold. I must have fallen asleep for a brief time. When I woke, I felt well enough to sit up. I saw Asha across the ward talking to the man who'd helped me.
She smiled at me, but the man's face remained as impassive as ever. I stood on wobbling feet and made my way through the crowded ward.
"Thank you for saving me," I told the man.
He nodded. "It was time."
"Time?" The man didn't answer, but I asked another question anyway. "Who are you?"
He bowed ever so slightly. "Conrad Edison, I am Kanaan."
Chapter 6
My eyes went wide and I stumbled back. Kanaan's hand flicked out and steadied me. "The magitsu master?"
He nodded. "The stage is set. The players have arrived. Emily told me it was time to act."
"Emily?" I looked at Asha for guidance, but she frowned and shrugged.
"Emily Glass." Kanaan nodded toward the exit. "We should go. Another assassin might look for you here."
"Story of my life," I said. "It's not the first time my father tried to have me killed." I had a million questions, but the moans of the injured and the smell of blood flooded my senses and scrambled my thoughts. I walked out of the ward and into the waiting area.
"Conrad!" Ambria jumped up off the floor and squeezed me, peppering my face with kisses. "They wouldn't let me go in."